My Inbox of Daily Inspirations: Daily Heartlight -- June 26, 2008

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June 26, 2008

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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================

Your Ambition, by Tom Norvell

In his writings to the Thessalonians (under the heading of "Living to
Please God" as designated by the NIV), Paul shares these words:

Finally brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please
God, and in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the
Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ... Make it your ambition to
lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your
hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the
respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on
anybody (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 NIV).

What if we heed his instructions "to live in order to please God"?

What if that became our goal and our first priority?

Our ambition becomes we are concerned about pleasing God more than we
are concerned about pleasing our employer, our friends, and our
co-workers ... even more than pleasing our spouse.

What would change in our lives if we put pleasing God first?

What would need to change to make that possible?

What if we made it our ambition to "lead a quiet life"?

A quiet life ... can we even grasp what that would be like?

Our world is typically so busy, so noisy, so rushed, and so
complicated, that living a quiet life may seem like an impossible
thing. Yet, Paul urged us "to lead a quiet life." Jesus exemplified the
importance of quiet times and not allowing the agendas of those around
us to control us. What would a quiet life look like for you? You might
need to slow down. You might need to take an afternoon off. You might
need to get some rest. You might need to change your goals. Your
lifestyle might need an overhaul. "Make it your ambition to lead a
quiet life."

What if we made it our ambition to "mind our own business"?

Wow! That's a tough one. That's tough for a parent. That's tough for a
husband. That's tough for a wife. That's tough for friends. That's
tough for church members. Have you ever said to someone, "I wish you
would just mind your own business and let me live my life the way I
want to live it?" Has anyone ever said that to you? That feeling of
frustration you experienced when someone tried to tell you how to do
your job, or raise your children, or live your life is perhaps what
Paul was trying to prevent by telling us to mind our own business.
Don't frustrate others by minding their business for them. You mind
your own business.

What if we made it our ambition to "work with our hands"?

Don't you suppose God planned it that way?

Some other interpretations say, "do your own job" or "work hard."
Regardless of the interpretation, the message is still the same: we all
have a job to do and God has gifted us to do it ... so do it. It may
not be too big of a stretch to say, "Don't be lazy." Or, maybe "Do what
you were placed here to do." Remember Paul's words to the Ephesians?

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

So we need to stay busy doing what we were put here to do. This is no
time to slack off in doing the work of the Lord.

We can speculate on the result of such a life, but we really don't need
to because Paul tells us what would happen if we follow his
instructions: our daily lives will win the respect of outsiders and
won't be dependent to anybody.

That sounds like a pretty good plan to me. It sounds almost simple,
doesn't it?

Don't you suppose God planned it that way?

Is it possible we have complicated this thing called life more than the
Creator ever intended?

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business
and to work with your hands ..."

Let's try it! God's Word promises that it will be worth it.

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(c) 2008 Tom Norvell <tomnorvell@mac.com>. Used by permission. A
Norvell Note <http://www.anorvellnote.com> is a weekly email
message from Tom Norvell. Check it out!

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Daily Heartlight -- June 26, 2008